


The Life of Water

by Florian_Gray



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar Cycle, Bending (Avatar), F/M, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Lance is the Avatar, M/M, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Southern Water Tribe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-07-25 18:33:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16203245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Florian_Gray/pseuds/Florian_Gray
Summary: Lance is the Avatar, who was born in the Southern Water Tribe. He kept it hidden for years, until he is chosen to leave the small village. Lance sets off on a journey, finding out that the world isn't as peaceful as they he thought.Lance must team up with people from around the world to save it.Is it already too late?





	1. The Chosen

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! So I know the tags say that they will be more added later, and this is so I don't spoil what is to come!  
> I have always loved The Last Airbender, and I love Voltron, so why not combine the two! 
> 
> Thank you so much desertbrass, who is beta reading this fic! She can be found [here,](https://archiveofourown.org/users/desertbrass/pseuds/desertbrass) or [here!](http://desertbrass.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> This is set after Aang defeated the Firelord, but in this he died, and Lance became the new Avatar. I will not follow Legend of Kora's story line. Lance is 17 at the start of this fic.
> 
> Please leave comments on what you would like to see in this fic, and any criticisms, or just how you liked it. Kudos are appreciated!
> 
> I would suggest listening to [this while reading!](https://movies-other.ambient-mixer.com/southern-water-tribe-)
> 
> Alright! On with the fic!

Growing up in the southern water tribe was interesting, to say the least. It was pretty small, and very hard to leave. Everyone knew everyone, and everyone knew everyone's secrets. That's why keeping something as big as being the Avatar a secret was almost impossible.

Lance did his best to hide the powers, but he still wanted to practice. They had their own tent thankfully, but his other siblings would come in without announcing themselves. It really was quite annoying.

Everyone was excited for the day of the festivals. Someone would be sent out into the world to learn about the different ways of each bending type. No one knew who was going to be chosen, and Lance was worried it would be one of his family members. It wasn't uncommon for the person to stay away, and Lance didn't want to lose any of his family.

“Lance!! Come on, you need to help set up the decorations!” Luis shouts. Lance shakes his head and walks out to see the village in full gear. It was odd to see them all out and festive.

“Lance, my boy, can you make an ice table for me, dear.” Lance's grandmother asks. Lance was one of the few who could waterbend easily without much training. He easily made a large table where the food would be set. They had all been hunting for extra food for tomorrow.

“Lance!! Come and make a fountain!” Lance's mother calls out pointing to a spot on the ground. Lance made the fountain, though it wasn't the best made fountain.

“Lance! Can you go get more fish?” Lance's father calls out. Lance huffs and walks towards the boats. He always got asked to do different chores, which he did. It helped him practice his waterbending. Fishing also gave him time alone to practice the other elements, though he was having a hard time with Earthbending, since almost everything was ice.

He pushed off into the icy water, only equipped with a basket to put the fish in. It was as cold as it always was, but it would be summer in most parts of the world.

Once he was far enough away he began to relax. As long as he came back with the right amount of fish, he wouldn't get in trouble. He practiced his airbending and waterbending. Firebending was a bit difficult, but he could make little sparks. Lance is careful not to burn the boat any.

Lance sees a fish coming and uses his waterbending to grab the fish and set it into the basket. He kept this up until he had enough for his whole village to have two fish each.

It was getting close to lunch and Lance caught two more fish before leaving. It doesn't take too long to get back and when he does, his younger siblings run to hug him and take the basket. They giggle as they run towards where the food will be prepared, almost dropping it twice. Lance shakes his head with a soft smile.

“Lance sweetheart, could you come start this fire for me?” Lance's mother asks. Lance freezes and looks around. No, she didn't mean with bending. Lance sighed and walked to his mother, he starts the fire with his bending, but makes it look like he just used the sticks. He looks up and grins at his Mom once the fire is going. She ruffles his hair and he stands to leave.

“Lance, I just want to say, you never had to hide. I hope you have fun tomorrow.” She says. She looks sad for some reason.  

“Hide what?” Lance asks.

She smiles sadly and shakes her head. “Oh Lance. You know I love you right? I would never be upset about this.” Lance tilts his head, still not sure what she means.

“Yeah… ok Mom, thanks.” Lance says before walking away.  _ That was odd _ , Lance thinks to himself.

Night falls and the festival starts. They won't know until midnight as to who is chosen. A spirit comes each year and chooses someone new. No one really remembers how this started, but it has become tradition. There was to be a huge fire, and lots of food to go around. There were often beautiful streaks of greens, reds, and blues in the sky. Right before the spirit would show up, small colorful balls of light would start to float around. Grandma called them fallen stars that came to bless them.

Lance remembers all the past festivals and the people that have left. His grandfather was one of them, as was his father, and neither came back. It hurt, but most families were used to it.

It was bittersweet to be chosen, no one really wanted to leave their family, but it was truly an honor to be chosen by Degotoga, the spirit. The spirit often chose people from Lance's family, and he is worried Degotoga would choose his mother or one of his siblings. He couldn't bare to lose them.

Whoever was chosen would stay for the rest of the night, and leave in the morning. It was a time to say goodbye and celebrate the journey ahead of them.

All 327 people were out to celebrate and see who would be picked. The table was filled with fish of all kinds, and a few other rarities that were collected from small shipments from the other nations. There was berries, fruits, and other odd goods. It was truly a wonderful feast.

Lance grinned as he ate throughout the night, before sitting around the fire and listening to the music. You could feel the anxiousness and excitement in the air as people talked to each other. Lance laughed as his siblings jumped all over the place, and his mother yelled at them about getting too close to the flames.

A warm feeling washed over Lance as he watched his family. His heart was content and a smile was on his face. He felt content watching them all. Part of his brain screamed at him to tell them, but the world didn’t need an Avatar right now. The world was peaceful as far as he knew. He just wanted to spend a simple life with his family.

As midnight drew near the lights filled the sky and the people rejoiced, dancing. The mothers looked worried, and the fathers already looked proud.  Age did not matter to Degotoga, so even the elders could be chosen. If a child was chosen, then the parents could go with the young one. A ship that carried supplies would always come, and whoever was chosen would board that boat.  

Once the fallen stars appeared, everything went silent. You could hear the soft sounds of the water. The lights floated around everyone, and the young ones tried to catch them and play with them. Suddenly a small light came from the northern end. It was Degotoga. Everyone stood up and gathered in an arc. The spirit was taller than any man could be, with a translucent body. It was colorful, and flowing. They had a sense that it is the ocean itself.

Everyone held their breath as Degotoga looked through the crowd. Mothers were holding their children as close as possible. Slowly Degotoga opened their mouth, and everyone held their breath.

“Avatar.” Degotoga called out. Lance’s stomach dropped to his feet as he looked around. Whispers broke out with questions. Many disbelieved that the Avatar was among them, while others were searching the crowd. Lance looked to his mother and saw her shed a tear. She knew. She looked to Lance and smiled at him, before placing a soft kiss on his forehead. She nodded at him, and gave him a slight push towards Degotoga.

Lance slowly walked forward, pushing through the crowd. The people stopped to stare at him, until he got to the front. There were gasp and whispers once again. Slowly Degotoga raised one of their arms and touched Lances shoulder, leaving a small mark there. Then just as Degotoga came, they left.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes, staring at Lance, before Veronica walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Lance turns to her, his eyes filled with tears, just like hers. She pulls him into a tight hug. Lance buries his head into her shoulder and sobs. He looks up at her once he has calmed down and wipes his eyes.

“It’s okay, Lance. Mom, Grandma, and I already knew. We were almost certain that you would be chosen. Go out there, and show the world who you are.” Veronica says softly. Lance nods his head and turns towards his village, his family.

“I’m sorry I kept this from you, but it was my secret to keep. I guess you all know that I am the Avatar now, and I’m sorry I don’t have more time with you. Please know that I love you all, and I will be back, because I am a waterbender first. You are my family.” Lance announces. Lance’s family runs out and surround him in a group hug, and then slowly the other villagers join in. It’s going to be a very long journey, but he will be back. That’s a promise.  


	2. Shiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance leaves, and meets the captain of the ship, Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like! Please leave a comment and kudos!! 
> 
> [I Would suggest, listening to this while you read!](https://industry-machine.ambient-mixer.com/boat-in-water)

Lance woke up curled together with his siblings. They didn't want him to have to stay in his tent by himself on the last day.

He slowly sat up and looked around. Everyone was curled up and bundled in furs. Lance sits there and starts to tear up. He clutches his chest as he looks at his family. Lance wipes his eyes and climbs out of the tent. The run is just barely touching the sky, so the snow shines brightly. He stretches, and looks around. His mother stands by the dying fire. Lance slowly walks up to her and places an arm around her shoulder, causing her to jump.

“Oh! Lance, don’t scare me like that.” She says. Lance grins at her. When he looks closer, her eyes are red and puffy, and her cheeks seemed flushed.

“Momma, you don’t need to worry. I’ll be fine, I mean, I am the Avatar. I will come back.” Lance says.

“The world needs you Lance. It’s peaceful here, yes, but out there?” She motions towards the sea. “It’s not. You must be careful. I’ve only heard rumors, but even if it is half true, you should have left home many years ago.” She says shaking her head.

“I don’t understand.” Lance mumbles.

“And that’s perfectly fine. The boat should be getting here soon. Your first stop is at the Northern Air temple. The village made a bag for you; it has some money, food, clothes, and other small things. Go, wake up your siblings, they will want to be able to say goodbye.” She says, looking towards where a black dot can be seen on the horizon. Lance frowns at it, willing it to go away, but that won’t happen. Finally, he sighs before turning back to the tent.

Lance walks in and grins at them. He kneels down and shakes everyone’s shoulders softly. Veronica is the first one awake.

“Lance? Oh, it’s almost time, isn’t it?” She says softly. Lance smiles sadly at her and nods his head.

“Yeah, can you get the others up? I’m gonna grab some food.” Lance says. Veronica nods her head and turns to Marco. Lance leaves, careful of everyone's legs.

Lance walks over to the food storage and takes out a fish. He attempts to use his fire to warm it up. It’s not bad really, but he really needs to get better at firebending. He eats it quickly, along with some leftover berries. Once his stomach is full he leaves and sees his family standing outside. The boat is close enough to see clearly now, and it breaks his heart.

“Lance, say your goodbyes. The ship will be docking soon.” Grandma says. Lance nods and walks over to the youngest. He pulls each of his siblings into a hug, and talks to them for a short while. His eyes are misty, but once he gets to his mother, he really starts to cry.

“Oh, Momma!” Lance says, pulling her into a deep hug. She strokes his hair softly.

“It’s alright my sweet boy, just remember what I said.” She mumbles. He nods his head and stands back. He hugs his grandmother, and then looks around. The whole village is awake to see him off. The boat has now docked and people are unloading the supplies. Lance grins shakily and walks up to the boat. He turns back and waves to everyone, before walking into the boat.

The boat isn’t too big, and the crew seems friendly. There are a few whispers and odd looks sent to him before someone older tells them to stop. He seems to be following Lance wherever he goes, and it's getting kind of creepy.

Lance is standing on the top deck, watching the ice slowly dissipate when the man walks up to him. It shocks Lance so much that he jumps high into the air, using some airbending on accident.

“Wow, sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Hey wait, aren’t you supposed to be a waterbender?” The man asks.

“Jeeze! A little warning next time! You know, you’re kinda creepy. You’ve been following me around this whole time.” Lance says, looking up the man… and wow. He is gorgeous. He has a strong star with a scar over his nose. His hair is long and tired into a bun, but there is a white streak through it. His right arm is mechanical looking. He wears the shirt the other crewmates wear, but his seem a little tight. Lance isn’t complaining, I mean, the man is like a god.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm. Normally I just captain the shop but I was worried, so I made sure you weren’t bothered.” Pretty Guy says.

“Right. Wait? You’re the captain? That’s amazing...uh” Lance says looking at the man.

“Oh! I’m Takashi Shirogane, but everyone just calls me Shiro.” Shiro says. Wow, he hot and has a pretty name. Lance’s heart might not be able to handle this.

“Nice to meet you Shiro, the names Lance.” He says sticking his hand out. Shiro grins at him, and shake it. Dang he has a firm grip.

“Thank you Lance, but you avoided my first question. I thought you were a waterbender?” Shiro says. He leans against the side of the boat, and the air whips a few strands of his hair out of the bun.

“Oh, well, I can kinda do both?” Lance says. Shiro’s eyes go wide and he stands up straight.

“You're? You’re the Avatar?” Shiro exclaims. Lance shhes him and looks around.

“Yeah, ok! Please keep quiet! I don’t want anyone to know, at least, not yet.” Lance says.

“Where have you been?!? Why didn’t you leave sooner, you selfish ba…” Shiro is cut off by the sound of an alarm. He looks around and curses when he sees a ship coming up ahead of us.

“What’s wrong?” Lance asks.

“Nothing. Either stay and fight, or go hide under deck like you’ve done all your life.” Shiro snaps running off. Lance looks around at the men scrambling to their post. Why is this boat going to attacking us? Lance wonders. He shakes his head, trying to clear his head. It doesn’t matter; he needs to protect these people. 

Lance looks around to find things to use. There is the water, and of course air, but using fire would be too dangerous. Other men and women run out and take fighting stances, Shiro is among them.

“Shiro!” Lance calls out running towards him. “Shiro, what does everyone bend? I can use air and water effectively, but that's about it.

“We’re all firebenders, well I don’t bend.” Shiro says. He walks jogs over to the cannons and helps load them, giving instructions as he goes.

“Wait… how did that happen?” Lance asks. Shiro turns his head sharply and stares at Lance like he just grew another head.

“You mean to tell me… you have no idea what’s happened in the world this whole time?” Shiro asks.

“Uh, yeah.” Lance says scratching his head.

“Sir! They are almost close enough to fire!” A man yells out.

Shiro huffs and shakes his head “If we live, I’ll explain. Try to counteract their water benders.” Shiro yells before running off. Lance gulps and nods, really to himself. He stands close to the front edge, ready to fight.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, please leave comments on what you would like to see in this fic, and any criticisms, or just how you liked it. Kudos are appreciated!


End file.
